Illuminated number or name plate



Oct. 4, 1938, M. DAVIDSON ILLUMINATED NUMBER OR NAME PLATE Filed Aug. 19, 1937 In V312 ior. Mariin David-$022 HZ iorngys.

Patented Oct. 4, 1938 S E T OFFICE V "m m Davidson, OjaiQCalif. Application August19, 1937. Serial No; 159,900

4 Claims. (01. 40 -130) My invention relates to an illuminated number orname plate of a type in which the light 'is re flected andeither passes through a stencil having the numbers or letters thereon or is ob-- structed by opaque letters and numbers. In this type of construction using reflected light,a certain amountof difficulty isexperienced in'maint'aining the mirrorgor mirrorsclean and keeping am) in a construction, by whichthe mirrorsare not subject to weathering conditionsi Usually this type of reflecting number or name plate is used but of doors for instance for house numbers or forstreet signsand located in places in.

which there is a fixed source of illumination, the

mirror-or mirrorsj; Inthis type of device the main :reflecting mirror is usually" placed at about 45 degrees to the stencil or'the opaqueiletters and.

numbers andthelight' usually shines downwardly onto the mirror and hence is reflected to either 9 show the illuminated letters and number'sior an illuminated groundwith the letters and numbers exhibited as opaque. H Anobject and feature of my invention in this type of plate is the provision of a molded glass holder open only atthe side'in'fwhich the stencil lsto be-inserted; thus the device maybe molded U for instance with a flat or horizontal top, inclined bottom wall at about 45' degrees to the I. top'wall having triangular "shaped ends and provided with an open front. This may readily be molded of onepiecezof glass therefore formed inte'gral. 'In'my invention I either place or locate a mirror on the inclined side, therefore such mirror isfprotected fromthe weather when thedevice is completed The-'open side is then closed and 1 sealed-:preferablyby agrounder similar glass platetowhich the stencils where a stencil is used, may be secured on the-outside of such plate or the opaque numbers or letters may be positioned in frontof the frosted" plate. Thereforeby this construction light may enter through the transparent top and the two triangular ends, such light is then reflected by the mirror outwardly through the" frosted glass andexhibits the numbers or letters whether these are stencils or opaques. In another and. simpler form of my invention I may have the inclined side mirrored, this being 7 on the outside and then the mirror covered with a protecting coating. 1

Another detail feature of my invention relates V to the manner of attaching the frosted plate and the stencils or letters and numbers and also to the manner of supporting the device, such being preferably by using lugs molded on the triangular ends and with an iron or similar bracket engaglight from such source "being reflected by' the l if desired or in color.

ing such lugs. By such construction the: assembly maybe positioned on an outside wall in a position to be illuminated by house lights or the equivalent. r i s 5 My invention also includes a construction in which the front face may be molded in the same operation as constructingtthe rest of the hollow prism. This face may then be sand blasted to givea ground glass surface and the letters or nuit) merals may be painted on such'surfac'e or separate letters or numerals glued on this front sur face. 5 a My invention also includes making the ho low prism by molding with an open front and then inserting a ground glass to form a closure for this frontwith the numbers and letters either pasted or painted on the ground glass.

My invention is'illustrat'ed in connection'with the accompanyingdrawing, in which: $0

-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my invention shown atta'chedto a wall. T t I I Fig. 2 is a verticalsection on the lineZ-[Z of Fig. 1 in the 'dire'ctionof the arrows. u Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of part of one end to illustrate the molded lug.'

low this ashort rim wall I4 parallel to the top 1 wall and' two opposite ends l5, these being tri angular in shape. Thecorner I6 is thus" formed integral withthe molded hollow block. Thiscon} struction therefore provides an open' front 20 which-is illustrated as having a marginal rim 2] 1 with aseating shoulder 22L Thus there' are a series ofsurfaces 23 parallel to the top [2, the section I4 at the bottom and the two sides I5. The front closure designated 25 consists of a glass plate 26which is preferablyof froste'd or ground glass or the like but may be transparent This is held in a channel shaped metal frame 21 secured in place bycement 28 or the like, this binding on the portion 23 and against the shoulder 22. The metal frame has a series of readily'bendable tabs 29. Prior to assembling the closure in the construction of Fig. 2 a flat mirror 35 is positioned in the molded block and in contact with the inclined wall 13. The mirrored surface 36 is at the back of this mirror plate and hence is protected from exposure. The glass mirror is held in place by cement or the like 31 at its marginal edges, such edges being adjacent the corner I6, the corner between the inclined side l3 and the ends I5 and that adjacent the bottom section I4.

It will be understood that any types of letters or numerals may be secured on the outside of the frosted plate 26 and as shown in the illustration, these are stencil sheets suchas 40 of opaque material and having cut-out or stencil openings such as 4| defining the letter or numeral. The upper or lower tabs 29 may be bent outwardly for insertion of the stencil and then held in place by bending the tabs downwardly over the stencil. Of course it is obvious that opaque numbers or letters may be used. These could be made on a. transparent thin glass plate or the like, the letters or numbers being painted or printed on such plate. However if desiredthe tabs 29 may be positioned and used to holdopaque letters and numbers in positionin front of the front plate 26. v p

In order to readily support the hollow prism I employ a molded lug 50 on each end formed integral with the end I5. Each lug has a rectangular base 5| and a projecting central boss 52. The front edge 53 of the base and the boss is in the same plane as the edge of the rim 2!. By this construction there is a side face of the base 5| parallel to and spacedfrom the face of the end l5. and the side face of the projecting boss 52 is still further spaced from the end l5 A convenient manner of holding the block is by a bracket 60. This is shown formed of wire having two rectangular ends 6| to fit around the boss 52 and to bear against the surface of the base portion 5| of the lug 50. A straight arm section 62 leads parallel to each end wall I5. There is then a straight horizontal portion 63 and two downwardly extending central portions 64. The two portions-64 are connected at an angle 65. s I

The bracket is intended to be bent at the various angles so that the portions 63, 64, having the angle 65 are in contact with the wall and the bracket is thus attached tothe wall by staples 6 6 or the like. The bracket is thus firmly held in position with the arms 62 extending outwardly therefrom. It is preferable to locate the assembly so that the top wall I2 is slightly inclinedto the horizontal. This gives a slight inclination from the vertical of the front closure plate 26. However as the device is usually mounted adjacent an exterior light on a building or where it receives the light from a window, it will be apparent that this slight inclination is an advantage. Light therefore enters through the clearly transparent top l2 and the transparent ends I 5. A certain amount of this light shines directly through the front plate 26, however most of such light is refiected by the mirror 35 to pass through the closure glass 26' and thus clearly exhibit the letters and numbers whether these are made in the manner of cut-out stencils or opaque letters and numbers.

is made substantially in the same manner as described above, however in the assembly the glass mirror 35 is omitted and the outer surface of the inclined wall 43 is silvered or has a mirrored surface indicated at 10. This mirrored surface is thus on the outside of the transparent wall I3 and may have a protective coating outside of the silvering or other metal used in forming the mirror. It will thus be seen that so far as the reflecting qualities are concerned, there is but little difference as to whether a glass mirror such as 35 is used inside of the hollow prism or the outside of the inclined wall I3 is mirrored on its outside surface but of course where the mirror is placed inside it is not subject to weathering conditions as the hollow prism is entirely closed after attaching the front closure plate 26.

It will be obvious that it is not necessary to use a metal frame for holding the frosted glass 26 in place in the front opening. This may be cemented directly against shoulders in the molded glass. Moreover the letters and numerals may be pasted on the frosted glass or painted thereon. I I

Various changes may be made in the details of the construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

In the construction of Fig. 4 the molded prism 1. In a device as described; a hollow molded glass prism having atransparent top wall forming a plane surface, an inclined bottom wall at substantially 45 degrees thereto, a lower rim wall connected to the inclined bottom wall, transparent end walls substantially triangular in section, the said walls having a marginal rim forming a plane surface with a seating shoulder p0 sitioned inwardly from the rim, a closure glass fitted against said shoulders, letters or numerals secured on the outside of the closure glass and a mirror attached to and parallel to the inclined bottom. I

2. In a device as described and claimed in claim 1, the mirror being formed with a separate sheet of glass located inside the hollow prism and in contact with the inclined bottom.

3. In a device as described and claimed in claim 1, the mirror being formed with a mirrored surface on the outside of the inclined bottom.

4. In a device as described a hollow molded glass prism having a transparent top wall forming a plane surface, an inclined bottom wall at substantially 45 degrees thereto, transparent end walls substantially triangular in section, the said walls having means forming a marginal rim with a plane surface forming the edge, the rim having "a seating shoulder thus leaving a largeopening,

a closure glass fitted in said opening against the shoulders, letters or numerals secured on the outside of the closure glass and a mirror at-, tached to and parallel to the inclined bottom.

MARTIN DAVIDSON. 

